The Victorian bushfires have now destroyed over 1200 square miles of bushland, farmland and communities/towns. The fires continue to burn and are expected to burn for several weeks.

Though many communities remain under threat or are coming under threat, the next major threat comes with the approaching weekend and the coming week as temperatures are expected to rise again. It was close to 40 degrees on the west coast today (Perth) – the direction from which our weather patterns come. The crisis is far from over.

The death toll which is officially at 173 is expected to surpass 200 and possibly 300. Unconfirmed reports indicate that an additional 146 bodies were recovered today. There has been no comment from authorities on these reports.

Australian news coverage has begun to show photos of those who have perished in the fires and have begun to identify these various people. It has been reported that 21 people died in one street of one town alone. Many more bodies are thought to be beneath the rubble of destroyed homes.